Folding top for vehicles



E. WOTTON.

FOLD!NG TOP FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17, 1919.

1,361,950.. Pam tented Dec.14,1920.

' 5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

E. WOTTON.

FOLDING TOP FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17. 1919.

Patented Dec; 14, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Svvuemtom 0344/4416 mev s 5 3%; ablioz E. WOTTON.

FOLDING TOP FOR VEHICLES;

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 17. 19.19.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

5 SHEETSSHE ET 3.

E. WOTTON.

FOLDING TOVP FOR VEHICLES. 'APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17. Isis.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

8 we WVtO L mmd @210 Qttozwa Ex WOTTON.

FOLDING TOP FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED uov.11,19.19.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

5 SHEETSSHEET 5.

W M N uHnH lI Unit En STATES;

EDWARD WOTTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO FIFTH AVENUE COACH COMPANY, A GGRPQRATION'OF NEVIYORK,

FOLDING TOP FOB. VEHICLES.

neeneso.

I V Specification of Letters Patent. Patenfied De 14 1920 Applicationfiled November 17,1919. ,Serial No.'338,1580.

which the following is a specification,refg,

erence being had therein to ing drawing. 1 I

This invention relates to a folding canopy top for vehicles, and has reference more particularly to a .folding top for motor busses,

the accompanythe object of the invention being to provide a top which when opened and extended for use, will cover the seats'on the top or deck of the bus and effectually protect the passengers from the weather, andwhich when in folded or closed position, willbe storedin' compact form out of the way so as not to obstruct the passengers" space on the deck.

WVith this end in View, the invention con sists of a top embodying two end bows and an intermediate bow, to which hows the canopy is connected as usual, and the legs of which bows are adapted to be pivoted to the vehicle to permit them to be folded side by side, the legs of the intermediate bow being extensible to enable the bow to be lengthened when the top is folded, so that it may be disposed even with" the end bows and will not obstruct the passengers" space on the deck, and the end and intermediate bows b e-o" ing operatively connected together in such manner that in' thefolding and unfolding,

of the top, the intermediate bow will be antomatically lengthened and shortened. p

The invention consists also in combining with a canopy top for the upper deck of an omnibus, anjend curtain connected respec tively with the end of the canopy top and with the vehicle, and formed'to'partially close the end of the deck so that an opening 5 will be left for the entrance and exit of the passenger to and from the deck when the to a is in an open operative position;

The invention consists also in the details of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and clalmed,

In the accompanying drawings? Figure 1 is a front perspective view of an.

Fig. 3

. moved to better show Fig.2 is

same.

top in folded or closed position. i

Fig. 4 is a perspective view'showing how the folding operation is performed. 1

Fig. 5 is a side elevation on an enlarged scal of my improved top removed from the vehicle, a portionjof the canopy being rethe construction of other parts, I

Fig. 6 is a cross section on the line 6+6 of Fig. 3; i I i Referring to the drawings:

a rear perspective view of the is a front perspective view with the i A N oFFicE. I

My improved top comprises two end bows 1 -1 and an intermediate bow'2, the twoend bows consistingeach as usual of the hori-" zontalportion 1 connected to and support ing the oppositeends of. the canopy A, and the two parallel legs 1 The intermediate bow comprises'a horizontal portion 2 which is connected to and supports the middle por- 7 tion of the canopy, and the two parallel legs 2?, which legs areextensible sothat the bow. as a whole may-be lengthened and shortened relatively to the end bows for the purposes presently to be described.

The ends of the legs of the three bows are pivotally connected together at each side, and are pivotally connected to the opposite sides ofthe vehicle so that they may be folded from the'open extended position as shown in Fig. 1 to'the closed position shown in F ig. 3.- It will be observed that in the open position of thetop, thecanopy is substantially horizontal, the legs of the end i bows extending in opposite directions at angles' of about 45, from their lower ends to the ends of the canopy. The intermediate bow however, extends vertically to the canopy from the pivotal points of its legs. Due to this condition, the intermediate bow is of considerable less length than the end bows, and while this condition is desirable in the open position of theto'p, since it enables the top to be horizontal and at the same time gives sufficient height for the passengers to walk erect beneath, it is'undesirable in the closed or folded position, since the horizontalfportion of theshortintermediate how would 'extendin'w'ardly of the end of the passenger space on the deck and would ob struct' this space. It isto obviate this con- 'dition that I make the legs of the interim-- 7 for the passengers.

The specific construction of the legs of the intermediate bow to effect this object isshown more particularly .in Figs. 1 and t, where it will be seen that each of the legs 2 comprises a tubular lower section 2 and an uppersection 2 which fits slidingly into the lower sect-ion and telescopes therein. The two upper sections of the bow are connectedfixedly together by means of the horizontal portion 2", and the two tubular lower sections are provided with longitudinal slots 3 in which extend pins i carried by the upper sections, by which means the upper sections are guided in the lower sections and limited in their movements therein. lhe lower tubular sections are pivoted at their lower ends to the opposite sides of the frame of the vehicle on alined transverse axes formed by horizontal pivot bolts 5 which are extended through the ends of the two sections and into the frame of the vehicle; and the lower ends of the legs of the two "end bows are pivoted to the lower ends of the tubular sections on horizontal transverse axes 6 and 7. 'Due to this construction and arrangement of the parts, the three bows may be spread apart from each otherin the open position of the top as shown in Fig. l, in which position the intermediate bow will extend in a vertical position and the two end bows will extend in opposite directions and at an inclination. In this position of the parts, the intermediate bow is in its con tracted shortened condition with the upper sections of its legs seated to their full extent in the tubular lower sections, and with the pins t-at the lower ends of the slots 3. Fromv this position the bows may be folded back to the closed position shown in Fig. 3, and in such folded position of the parts, the intermediate bow be lengthened by the movement of the upper sections of the legs outwardly in the tubular lower sections, whereby the horizontal portion 2 of the bow may be caused to aline with the corresponding portions of the end bows.

In order that the ntermediate bow may be thus lengthened and shortened auto matically by the operations of folding and unfolding the top, the legs of the two end bows are operatively connected with the upper sections of the intermedlate bow in such manner that when the bows are swung back and down to fold the top, the upper sections of the intermediate how will be posi tively moved outwardly in the lower sections, and the intermediate bow will be thus lengthened; and when the bows are swung upwardly again to unfold and extend the top, the upper sections of the intermediate how will be moved down again and telescoped into the lower sections and the bow thus shortened.

In the present instance, this action of the parts is effected by two pairs of connecting links 8, a pair on each side of the structure.

Each pair comprises a link 8 which is pivoted at one end to the leg of one end bow as at 8 and is pivoted. at its opposite end as at 8 to the upper section of the intermediate bow, and a link 8 which is pivoted at one end to the other end bow as at 8 and which is pivoted at its other end to the upper section of the intermediate bow adjacent the connection of the link 8, as at 8 These links, when the bows are spread apart in the open position of the top, extend from their lower ends at an upward inclination toward each other as shown in Fig. 1, it being understood that there is a pair of such links at each side of the top, the links of each pair being similarly connected with the corresponding parts at each side.

The upper deck of the vehicle to which my improved top is shown as applied, is surrounded by a railing X which incloses the passenger space containing the seats Y. These seats face forwardly along both sides of this space in two rows, and they occupy the full length of the space from one end railing to the other, Consequently, it is necessary that the space be free at all times so that the passengers can pass to and from the extreme end seats. The length of the end bows of my improved top is therefore such that when they are swun forwardly to folded position as shown in Fig. 3, their horizontal portions 1 will not extend inward of the end deck railing and obstruct the passenger space. In the example shown, the length of the end bows is such that their horizontal portions will extend beyond said end-railing, the links 8 being of such length and so connected with the upper sections of the legs of the intermediate bow and to the legs of the end bows, that in the folding operation, the intermediate how will be lengthened sufficiently so that its horizontal portion 2 will also pass beyond the end rail.

of the deck and will line up with the corre sponding parts of the end bows when the parts are completely folded as shown in Fig. 3.

To hold the top in extended open position, I provide stay straps lO, twoat each end, which straps have their upper ends connected with the respective end bows and are adapted at their lower ends to be fastened to the deck railing.

In the particular form of bus shown in the drawings, the upper deck is reached by a stairway B leading from therear end of the'lower deck to a side entrance C at the rear end of the upper deck. In orderthat when the top is in extended open position, the rear end of the deck -may be closed against the weather without obstructingthis side entrance, li'provide anendcurtain 11 as shown in Fig.2, which is fastened'at its upper edge to the rear end of the top, and

at its lower portion to the: rear end railing;

This curtain extendsonlypart way around the end of the. deck, its inner edge termitnating .at the inner side of. theentrance-p' f sage. As a result, the entrance passage is left open, while at the same time the remain-j ing portion of the end of the deck is effectually closed. 7 g a The front end of the deckis closed by a front curtain 12 which is'connected at its upper end to the forward end'of the canopy ton and at its lower end to the front end railing. I

In the operation of folding the top, it is only necessary to release the rear stay straps and push backon the legs ofthe end bows.

The conductor thentakes hold of the stay straps and allows thebows to fold down by gravity as shown in Fig; 4. 'As the bows thus swing back,;the pairs of links, 8 will thrust up on the upper sections of the extensible legs of the intermediate bow, and will lengthen the same automatically, and as the several bows approach each other and reach their complete folded position-as shown in Fig. 3, they will all be in alinement with each other and disposed beyond the front end railing and free of the passenger space As a means for further supporting the flexible canopy at points between the end and intermediate bows, I provide two supplemental bows, one 18 at the front, and the other 14 at the rear. The front supplemental bow has its legs pivoted to the legs of I the forward end bow and extends at an upward inclination toward the rear and has its horizontal portion 13 connected with the canopy about midway between the horizontal portions of the intermediate bow and the front end bow. The rear supplemental bow 14 has its legs pivoted to the upper sections of the legs of the intermediate bow, and it extends rearwardly therefrom at an upward inclination and has its horizontal portion ll fastened to the canopy at a point midway between the horizontal portions of the rear bow and the intermediate bow. These supplemental bows will fold back with the intermediate bow and the front end bow, and they are of such length that when I the several bows are folded, their horizontal portions will line up with the corresponding portions of the other bows. I 7

Having thus described my inventiomwhat I claim is 1. In a folding top for vehicles, the, combination of end bows and an intermediate bow, said bows having their legs pivotally mounted to fold together, the intermediate bow being extensible so that it may be lengthened when folded, and means actu ated by the pivotal movement of the bows in the folding operation, for lengthening the intermediate bow. I

. In a folding top for vehicles, the combination of end bows and-an intermediate bow,.saidbows having their le pivotally mounted to j fold together, an the intermediate bow being extensibleso that it may be: lengthened when foldedand shortened when unfolded, and means actuated by the pivotal motions of the bows in the folding and unfolding operations for positively lengthening and shortening respectively said intermediate -bow..

3. In a folding top for vehicles, the com bination of end bows and an intermediate bow, said bows having their legs pivotally mounted to. fold together, and the said intermediate bow being extensible in length,

and members connecting an end bow ,with the intermediate bow and arranged to lengthen and shorten the intermediate bow in the pivotal movements of the end bow in the folding and unfolding operations.

4. In a folding top for vehicles, the combow, said bows having their legs pivotally mounted to fold together, and the legs of said intermediate bow being extensible so that the bow may be lengthened and shorts 'ened, and members connecting the legs of the end bows withthe legs of the intermediate bow, said members arranged to automatically extend the intermediate how when the bows are folded together.

' 6. In a folding top for vehicles, the com-' bination of end bows provided with legs pivotally mounted, an intermediate bow provided with legs comprising lower sections pivotally mounted adjacent the legs of the end bows, and upper sections slidinglyconnected with the lower sections, and links pivoted at one of their ends to the legs of the end bows and pivoted at-their other ends to said upper sections of the intermediate bow, said links when the top is in unfolded extended position, extending upwardly at opposite inclinations toward each other. 1

7. In a folding top for vehicles, the combination of end bows provided with legs,

an intermediate bow provided with legs comprising lower sections pivotally mounted and upper sections slidingly connected with the lower sections, the ends of the end railings and containingseats for the accommodation of passengers, a folding top for said deck consisting of end and intermediate bows pivotally mounted on the vehicle to fold together, the said end' bows being of suflicientlength. to extend to or beyond the end rail of the deck when folded, and the intermediate bow being of less length than the end bows when the top is in extended open position, and said intermediate bow being extensible in length, and

.members connecting the two end bows with the intermediate bow and arranged to antomatically lengthen and shorten the intermediate bow in the pivotal movements of the end bows in the folding and unfolding operations; whereby when the top is folded, the intermediate bow will be caused to extendbeyond the passenger space.

9. In combination with an omnibus having a lower deck and an upper deck, end

and side rails inclosing the upper deck, one a of said end rails terminating at one end a short'distance from the end ofthe side rail to leave anentrance passage to the deck at one side for the entrance of passengers, stairsleading from the lower deck to said entrance passage, a top extending over the deck, and a curtain for closing the end of the deck containing the entrance passage, said curtain being connected at its upper end to the top'and at its lower end to the end deck railing and extending from the side of the deck toward the entrance passage and terminating at its inner end at the inner side of said passage; whereby the end of the deck will be closed without obstructing the entrance passage.

In testimony whereof, I have afiixed my signature hereto.

EDWARD WOTTON. 

